Method for separating electrically conductive mineral components from electrically non-conductive mineral components of an ore

Abstract

An improved method for separating electrically conductive components of an ore or mineral sand from electrically non-conductive components of the ore or mineral sand is disclosed which includes processing the ore, adding a polymer, such as an anionic polymer, to the processed ore, drying the polymer and ore, and then feeding the ore and polymer through an electrostatic separator. The addition of the anionic polymer to the processed ore increases the efficiency of the electrostatic separation process.

What is claimed:  
     
       1. A method for separating an electrically conductive component of an ore from an electrically non-conductive component of the ore, the method comprising the following steps: 
       providing a supply of the ore comprising at least one non-conductive component and at least one conductive component,  
       processing the ore,  
       adding a polymer to the processed ore,  
       drying the polymer and ore, and  
       separating at least some of the conductive component from the non-conductive component by feeding the ore and polymer through an electrostatic separator and collecting at least some of the conductive component from a first end of the electrostatic separator and at least some of the non-conductive component from a second end of the electrostatic separator.  
     
     
       2. The method of claim  1  wherein the processing step is selected from the group consisting of grinding, wet separation, attritioning, acid washing and alkali washing. 
     
     
       3. The method of claim  1  wherein the polymer is a latex polymer. 
     
     
       4. The method of claim  1  wherein the polymer is a dry polymer. 
     
     
       5. The method of claim  1  wherein the polymer is a flocculant. 
     
     
       6. The method of claim  1  wherein the polymer is a latex flocculant. 
     
     
       7. The method of claim  1  wherein the polymer is a dry flocculant. 
     
     
       8. The method of claim  1  wherein the polymer is an anionic latex copolymer. 
     
     
       9. The method of claim  1  wherein the polymer is an anionic dry copolymer. 
     
     
       10. The method of claim  1  wherein the polymer is an anionic copolymer of acrylic acid and acrylamide. 
     
     
       11. The method of claim  10  wherein the polymer has an anionic charge ranging from about 0.5 to about 1.5 meq/g. 
     
     
       12. The method of claim  10  wherein the polymer has an anionic charge ranging from 10% to 55%. 
     
     
       13. The method of claim  1  wherein the polymer is polyacrylate. 
     
     
       14. The method of claim  1  wherein the adding step further comprises adding the polymer to the ore at a polymer/ore ratio ranging from about 20 grams/ton to about 100 grams/ton. 
     
     
       15. The method of claim  1  wherein the adding step further comprises adding the polymer to the ore while the ore is under a turbulent flow. 
     
     
       16. The method of claim  1  wherein the adding step further comprises mixing the polymer with the ore under turbulent conditions. 
     
     
       17. A method for separating rutile from zircon, the method comprising the following steps: 
       providing a supply of an ore comprising rutile and zircon,  
       processing the ore,  
       adding an anionically charged polymer to the processed ore,  
       drying the polymer and ore, and  
       separating at least some of the zircon from the rutile by feeding the ore and polymer through an electrostatic separator and collecting at least some of the zircon from a first end of the electrostatic separator and at least some of the rutile from a second end of the electrostatic separator.  
     
     
       18. The method of claim  17  wherein the processing step is selected from the group consisting of grinding, wet separation, attritioning, acid washing and alkali washing. 
     
     
       19. The method of claim  17  wherein the polymer is a flocculant. 
     
     
       20. The method of claim  17  wherein the polymer is an anionic copolymer of acrylic acid and acrylamide. 
     
     
       21. The method of claim  20  wherein the polymer has an anionic charge ranging from about 0.5 to about 1.5 meq/g. 
     
     
       22. The method of claim  20  wherein the polymer has an anionic charge of about 30%. 
     
     
       23. The method of claim  17  wherein the adding step further comprises adding the polymer to the ore at a polymer/ore ratio ranging from about 20 grams/ton to about 100 grams/ton.